inspectionn.

1390 J. Gower Confessio Amantis III. 46 His hours of astronomy He kepeth as for that party, Which longeth to the inspection Of love and his affection.

1426 J. Lydgate tr. G. de Guileville Pilgrimage Life Man 10457 Haue her ther-off inspeccyoun, And se her my commyssioun.

a1513 H. Bradshaw Lyfe St. Werburge (1521) i. vi. sig. c.i^v Consyder the hystory, with good inspeccyon.

1569 R. Grafton Chron. II. 353 By the inspection of which statute, the sayde newe statute or ordynaunce [etc.] were conceaued in the parliament.

1607 E. Grimeston tr. S. Goulart Admirable & Memorable Hist. 74 The olde woman thinking that the inspection of the Urine made me to divine this.

1665 R. Boyle Disc. ii. ii, in Occas. Refl. sig. C2 By the casual flights of Birds, and the Inspection of the Intrals of Beasts, to learn the Will of Heaven.

1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. III. xxii. 331 Trial by inspection, or examination.

1768 W. Blackstone Comm. Laws Eng. III. xxii. 333 Also, to ascertain any circumstances relative to a particular day past, it hath been tried by an inspection of the almanac by the court.

1830 J. Gray Introd. Arithm. (1872) 79 To value the decimal of a pound sterling by inspection.

1833 H. Martineau Manch. Strike (new ed.) xii. 128 The account book would be..open to the inspection of all who could prove themselves to belong to the Union.

1853 E. K. Kane U.S. Grinnell Exped. (1856) xxxiv. 298 It might, on a hurried inspection, be confounded with snow.

1860 J. Tyndall Glaciers of Alps i. v. 40 During our inspection of the place.

1861 Act 24 & 25 Victoria c. 134 §192 Every Deed or Instrument made or entered into between a Debtor and his Creditors..relating to the Debts or Liabilities of the Debtor, and his Release therefrom, or the Distribution, Inspection, Management, and winding-up of his Estate.

1869 Act 32 & 33 Victoria c. 71 §125 (4) The special resolution, together with the statement of the assets and debts of the debtor, and the name of the trustee appointed, and of the members, if any, of the committee of inspection, shall be presented to the registrar.

1872 Wharton's Law Lexicon (ed. 5) 488/1 Trial by Inspection was resorted to when, for the greater expedition of a cause, some point or issue..being evidently the object of sense, was decided by the judges of the Court upon the evidence of their own senses. Obsolete.

1876 Athenæum 28 Oct. 554/2 A clear distinction is drawn between inspection and examination... Inspection..undertakes the task of seeing how the school does its daily work.

1883 Wharton's Law-lexicon (ed. 7) 419/2 Inspection, Deed of.

1561 X Commaundementes of Loue in Chaucer's Wks. f. cccxlij^v/1 When ye vnto this balade haue inspeccion In my making holde me excusable.

1632 W. Lithgow Totall Disc. Trav. i. 7 To have a quotidian occular inspection, in any obvious object of disastrous misfortune.

1656 O. Cromwell Speech 17 Sept. in Writings & Speeches (1947) (modernized text) IV. 269 To have a little inspection upon the people, thus divided,..in divers interests.

1660 G. Withers (title) Speculum Speculativum,..being an Inspection into the Present and Late Sad Condition of these Nations.

1687 A. Lovell tr. J. de Thévenot Trav. into Levant iii. 19 There is a Mufty at Surrat, who has the inspection over all that concerns the Mahometan Religion.

1708 F. Atterbury Serm. St. James's Chapel in Serm. & Discourses (1766) II. 187 Impressions of his perpetual presence with us, and inspection over us.

1710 Life Bp. Stillingfleet 92 To make a due Inspection into the State of his Diocess.

1739 J. Tull Horse-hoeing Husb. (1740) 233 This Observation..made by Inspection upon a Glass of Water with Earth in it.

1810 S. Smith Wks. (1859) I. 189/1 A close inspection of the master into the studies and conduct of each individual is quite impossible.